Indexing mechanism



G. n. suNnsTnANu.

rINDEXING MECHANISM.

FVPLICATION FILED JUNE 2B. ISH'.

1,425,716. Patented Aug. 15, 1921 2 SHEETS-SHEET I 1155565: Ew@ l z ,7, .O7 1

G. D. SUNDSTRAND.

INDEXING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29. l1911.

Patented Aug. 15, 1922.

:sains-suur 2.

A IlIlIIIIIlIllI/Jll UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAF D. SUNDSTRAND, OF ROCKFORD, ILLVINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO RUCKEORD TOOL COMPANY, 0F ROCKFORD, Ill'JILJIItOIS,A A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

INDEXING MECHANISIVL Specicaticn of Letters Patent. p Patented Allg. 15, 1922.

Original application filed December 1, 1916, Serial No. 134,280. Divided and this application led June 29, 1917.

To all ywhom it may concern.'

Be it known that i, GVSTAF Darn) SUND s'rlriN-n.l a citizen of the United States. residing at Rockford. in the count)r of )Tinnebago and State of illinois. have invented certain new and use fnl Improvements in 1ndexing Mechanisms, of which the following a specification.

This in rention relates to improvements in indexing mechanism in which the power member continuously actuated.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide imprtn'ed means for antonmticalllv indexing a worlvspindle or the like which is subjected to an oscillatory' movement` [n the aciompanying drawings. Figure l a side view nl a berelfgear generator in which the prel'erretl embmlinient of tn v invention hns been incorporated. Fig. 2 is a front View of the intention. Fig. 3 is top plan View ot inv invention and adjacent parts. Figs. 1 and 5 are sectional views taken on dotted lines -l and respectively. of' Fig. 6 showing tl'lepartsin different positions. Fig. t3 is an eniarged se'` tional view taken on line 13--6 of Fig. 3. Figs. Tand 91 are detail views of parts in ditl'crent positions. Fig. $1 is a sectional vier.' talren on dotted liml 9 o1' Fig. (i.

This application is a division ot my ropending application Serial No. IPVLLHU. tiled December 1. 1916. The machine shown in the last mentioned application comiiirises a bevel-gear generator but it will be understood, however` that the improvements herein disclosed are not restricted io use with bevel gear generators but, if desire-.1. may be. applied to anyv machine.

ln the accompanying drawings l have illustrated my invention as applied to a bevel gear generator in which the. cutting means reciprot-.atcd to and fro and at the, saine time is os, illate'l. The gear blank l is supported by the spindle 95 and is synchronously osrillated with tht` cuttingl means 1o ettect :i rolling motion upon nach othei to generate a tooth spat-t or the adjacent outlinesV of adjacent. teeth. The. preferred embodiment o1l mv invention has been attached to ther spindle $15 to automaticall)l index the same and the. cutter blank L anyr desired armate distance.

A 11er a tooth spari or fron-ce has been completed in the gear blank o. the spindle Serial No. 177,782.

95 is turned With relation to the gear case 114 in order to bring another portion of the blank into position to be grooved by the cutting means. The means for thus index ing the gear blank includes the Worm 120 (see Fig. 3), and the Worm wheel 121. The worm 12) is mounted upon a shaft 122 to which is fixed a change gear 123 (Figs. 1. 2 and 3). `The gear 123 meshes with a change gear 124 which is rigid with a gear 125. The latter meshes with a gear 126 which is tixed upon a shaft 12T. Also fixed upon the shaft 12T is a drtnn 128 (Figs. 1, 5 and 6) carrying a dog 129 (Figs. 4 and 5). yThis dog is adapted to be engaged by a ra tohet Wheel 130 which is rotatablj,7 1noiinted upon the shaft 127 within the. drum 12o. lastened to the hub of the ratchet wheel 1311 isa spur gear wheel 13.1 (Fig. G) that meshes with. a pinion 132 fixed upon a shaft 13B. The Shaft 133 is connected by means of a universal joint 131 3) with a shaft 135 that extends slidably through a gear case 136 which is iiivotallyv supported at 18T in a bracket 138 fixed to the frame 101. Within they gear case 136 is rotatably supported a bevel gear 139 which is splined tothe shaft 135, said shaft being freely slidable longitudinally of' the gear 139. Within the gear case 136 is a bevel gear 140 that meshes with the bevel gear 13S) and is fixed to a shaft 141 (Fig, 2). The shaft 141 is axially alined with the pivot' 137 (Fig. 3). To the lower end of the shaft 1:11 is fixed a bevel gear (not shown) that meshes with a bevel gear 113 (Fifr. 1) fixed upon a constantly-rotating sha t 'tf1-1. The shaft 1.1-1 is rotatably supported in the center o1' the trnnnion upon which the frame 101 is pivoted and is driven h v any suitable means such as that shown in my copending application referred to. The ratchet wheel 13() is therefore constantly rotating. A spring 1175 (Fig. e1) acting against :i tinger 149 l'ixed with relation to the dog 1;'11 tende'.` to swing the dog into the path of the teeth of the ratchet wheel 131|. The dog 129 is normall) held ana)l l'roin said teeth. as shown in Fig. 5. by nic-.ins of a hook 15o adapted to engage the finger 119. said honk being fixed to a rock shaft. 1:31.

)Vhen the gear-tooth has been cut, the cnttim meansl is'vetnrned to its initial position. und then the hook 15() i`V raised by the tripping shalt 151 to allow the dog 1211 to he engaged by the ratchet wheel 130, thereby @Busin the. shaft 127 t0 he related en@ er more" mesnd cansi i the sgiudle 95 to turn through thebproperldstance to enable the cutting means, upon the next fol-Ward movement thereof, to form the next tooth s gee.. The mea s or rais' the hook 150 cgiii''ilses a'n aiii 1 2 and 3) xed t0 the, sha-ft 151 and pivoted to a. rod 158. The rod 153 extends slidably through a guide 154 (Figs. 2, 3 and 6) on the gear case 114. The lower end of the rod 158is pi'voted to one arm of a lever 155 (Fig. 2) carried by the gear case, the other arfm of said lever resting upon a plate 156. The plate 156 is curved upon the arc of a circle concentric withl the axis upon which the gear case 114 oseillates, and vsaid plate is "of sufiicient length so thatl it is always beneath the lever 155. The plate 156 is secured to a rod 157 (Figs. 1 and 2') which is supported for lon gitudinal movement upon the fra-me 101.

ixed to the rod 157 is an arm 158 carrying a beveled pin 159. A rod 16() ciirved upon the are of a circle concentric with the frame supporting trunnion is supported upon the frame 101 in the bearings'161 and 162. Intermediate the bearings 161 and 162 the rod 160 has an elongated' opeping 163 through which extends ai guide 'pin 164 set in the frame 101. Upon the upper end of the rod 1601s a beveled pin 1 65 adapted upon the upward move-ment of th rod 160 to pass under and lift the pin 159 and thus Iift the plate 156 and the adjacent erin of the lever 155, whereby the shaft 15"1 is turned to raise -the hook 150 out of engagement with the finger' 149. The rfinger 165 is adapted to yield pivotally upon the downward move ment ofthe rod 160 so as to ass the pin 159.

A. spring 166 normally hol s the pin 165 in 4the' position shown in Fig. ,1.

The means for raising'the rod 160 comprises a lever 167 pivoted at 168 to ythe Inrichine frame 1. One arm of said lever car ries a rod 169 which is slidably mounted in u guide 170 on the machine frame, the upper end of said rod carrying a roller 171 that underlies a collar 172 which 1s adjustzibly mounted upon the rod 160. The other arm of the lever 167 carries a rod 173 (Fig. 1) which. in the return movement of the Cutters. is engaged. as described in my copenit ing application referred to, and is forced downwardly. the rod 16() being lifted to raise the plate. 156 and t-hus cause the hook |511 to be moved away from the finger 149. A. spring 176 (Fig. 4) tends to move the hool' 15() don-nwardiy While gravity retui us the rods 157 and 161) after Fever 167 has been returned to its original position.

The hook 151) is held up out of the orbit of the finger 149 for the required length of time by means of an mi'pstable device our ,rfsiutmf. notched plates 177 and 179 (Figs. 6. 7.l 8 and 9). These disks have notches 179.7in their peripheries. In theeou struction herein shown, the 177 has serien notches 179, While the disk 178 has four noten-es. The disks are located side by side and are relatively adjustable so as to bring the desired notches in the in to register'. In Fig. 7, the disks are shown as so adjusted that notches are iin register at two diametrically opposite points. In Fig. 8 the disks are shown as so adjusted that notches are in register at only one point. The disks may b e adjustably secured together in any suitable manner, as by means of a spring plunger 177 (Fig. 9) carried by the disk 177 and adapted to enter concave notches 177b in the disk 178. The disk 178 is fixed uponthe hub of a spur gear wheel 180 (Fig. 6) which is rotatably mounted upon a stub shaft 181 in the gear casing 114. The spur gear 18() meshes with a pinion 182 which is rigid with the shaft 127. A pin 183 on the hook 151) is adapted to ride upon the peripheries of the disks 177 and 178 und drop into two registering notches 179 in said disks. In the construction herein illustrated, the ratchet Wheel 130 makes four revolutions to one revolution of the .lisks 177 and 178. Normally the hook 150 is iu engagement with the finger 149, and the piu 183 vlies in two registering notches in the disks 177 and 178. When the hook l5() is lifted out of engagement with the finger 149, the pin 183 is held up by the peripheries of the disks 177 and 178 until two registering notches in said disks reach said pin. whereupon the hook 150 drops into the path of the finger 149 and thus causes the (log 129 to bc disengaged from the ratchet wheel.

To prevent rebound of the drum 128 and consequent vibration of the spindle 95 when the finger 149 strikes the hook 150, I provide a dog 184 (Fig. 5) which is loosely mounted upon the shaft 151 and is yieldingly held in Contact with the periphery 4of the drinn 128 b v means of a spring 185. Set in the periphery of the drum 128 is a sto pin 186. By the time that the hook 150 has isengaged the dog 1.29 from the ratchet Wheel 130 4the stop pin 186 has just passed the locking dog 184. It will be seen that when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 5. the hook 150 and the finger 149 prevent rotation of the drum 128 in one direction. and the stop pin 186 and the locking dog 184 prevent rotation of the lrum in the opposite direction.

When it is desired to change the adjustment of the disks; 177 and 178. access is had to said disk through the opening 187 (Figs. f1 and 6) in the gear case 114.

While I have herein shown and described iu detail the preferred embodiment of my in- \cntion and the operation thereof. I would have it understood that I do not intend thereby to limit myself, but Will only be limited by the scope of the appended claims.

l claim as my invention:

1'.. An indexing device having, in combination, a lrum member operatively connectedftoan in'dexable member; a dog member pivotally caried by said drum, an actuating shaft; a ratchet member operatively connectedto said actuating shaft; and means for op eratively' associ-ating said dog and ratchet members l'comprising a sprin l-pressed finger secured to Said dog mem er, a springpressed p'ivtally-mounted hook member secured to said finger andwithh'olding said dog member from the ratchet, rocking means for releasing said hoolt member', and means for withholding said hook member comprising 'a' plurality/"of disk" members operatively cotiti'ectedV t'said drum vand rotatable thereby, "saitidi'sk`rtenibers having a plurality of registering hotclis'and a pin member carried'b'yi'said h'o'ok ,'ieinber sega'table in said registe` ,ing ,notches lvfor restoring' said engagable -`hoolri member.

2. A 'dog-and-rat'chet mechanism having, inc'mb'inatiom'a dog pivotally secured to a rotatable nirriber'f,i 'a ratchet wheel secured to'anY actuatingxnekrnle'n` means for operatively associatingl said dog and said ratchet Wheel =comprising aI finger member rigidly se'cure'd to .said do'g 'and a spring member engaging said linger member, means for operatively" disassociating said dog and said ratchet wheel comprising a sprin #pressed piv'tally-mounted hoollrm'ember a apted to engage said 'finger member, and means for maintaining said hook out 'of enga ement iviths'ald finger "comprising a plura ity of notched; disks rotatable by said rotatable member' saiddslts having a plurality of registering `notches,'a"nd a pin member carrieti by said'hook' member and' operatively associated withE said disks.

'3f Ari "indexing `device 'for a" rotatable member liavingi in combination, 4'actuating means, aratcliet Wheel operable by said actuatin "means, a' dog member operatively conne-'ed 'to the rbtatable memberand adapted -to en age said ratchebwheel whereby the 'rotate le'member will bie rotated by said actuating means, means for intermittently actuating' said dog member` timing means operatively connected to said rotalahle member` and means carried by the last mentioned. 'actuatingr means engageable by said timing means for determiningT the du ration of said dog and ratchet Wheel connection. said timing means being selectireliv adinstable to vary the duration ot said connectionA l. An indexing device for an oscillating member having. in combination, continuA ouslv actuated means tor advancing said member a lived arcuate distance. said means inclu-'ling a flexible connection. connecting means intermittently and operatively associating said member with said actuating means. means for actuating said connecting means including a slidable member carried by said oscillating member, an arcuate plate transverse to the `axis of oscillation and rigid with said slidable member, and slidable means operatively connected to said arcuate plate for moving the same vfor actuating said connecting means.

5. An indexing device for an oscillating member having, in combination, continuously actuated means for advancing said member a fixed arcuate distance, said means including a flexible connection, connecting means intermittently and operatively associating said member with said actuating means, means for actuating said connecting means including a slidable member carried by said oscillating member, an arcuate plate transverse to the arc of oscillation -'and rigid with said slidable member, and means including `a onewvayf actuating device for moving the arcuate plate. 1

6. An indexing device for an oscillating member having.l inV combination, continuously actuated 'means for advancing said member a fixed arcuate distance, connecting means intermittently and operably associat` ing said member with 'said actuatlng means, and means lion-actuating said connecting means includinga finger, a rock shaft, an arm fixed thereto; a rod pivoted to the arm. a lever pivoted to the-rod, an arcuateplate concentric with the axis upon which the member is oscillated and beneath said plate, said plate, being slidably supported by the trame structure upon which 4the'inember is oscillatably supported and means for slidably moving the arcuate plate to actuate said lever.

7. An indexing device for an oscillating member having, 'in combination,l continuously actuated means for advancing said member a lixedarcuate distance, connecting means intermittently and ope'rabl associat ing saidmember with said actuating means, means for actuating said connecting means including a finger, a rock shaft, an arm fixed thereto, a rod pivotedto the arm, a lever pivotcd to the rod, an arcuate plate concentric with the axis upon which the member is oscillate'd and beneath said plate, said plate being slidably supported by the frame struclure upon which the member is oscillatably supported and means tor slidably moving the arcuate plate to actuate said lever, and spring means l'or returningl said connectoractuating means,

S. An indexing device haring, in combination, a shaft to be indexed. a dog menilwr operatively connected thereto, a continuousl rotating actuatingshaft, a ratchet wheel operatively connected to said operatA ing shaft and engageable by said dog mem ber, means involving positive engagement between sait indexed shaft ansi r'aid dog inem ner adapted lto limit the movement of said dog member in the direction of release and j `iel'ativel Stationary means adapted to engag :endl release said dog member from said ratc et, whereby said dog member and relatively' stationary means act as a positive stop aga-inst further rotation of said indexed member.

.9, in indexing device for a shaft having. incoinbination, a rotatable member, continuously acta/ated means connecting means between said rotatable member and said actaiantigg means, disconnecting means for disi associating periodically said connecting means Afrom said actuating means, and timin? means selectively adjustable to a plura ity of settings for determining the ingo, terv.$,l between the operation of said connectinv means and said disconnecting means.

l0. ,n indexing device having, in combination, a shaft to vbe indexed, a dog member operatively connected thereto, an actuating 25 shatt, a ratchet wl'ieel operatively connected to' said actuating shaft and engageable by said dog member, means in the nature of a shoulder on the shaft to be indexed adapted to engage and limit the motion ot' said dog 3Q in the direction of release` relatively station- :iry means adapted to engage said dog and move it against said shoulder whereby said dog Iand said relatively stationary means act as a positive stop against further rotation of said indexed member, and additional means for preventing recoil of said indexed shaft in the opposite direction.

l1. A n indexable device having, in combination, a rotatable member, continuously actuated mechanism, and means for intermittently and operatively connecting said member with said mechanism comprising a controlling device operatively connected A with said rotatable member tor timing the voperation of the connecting means. said controlling device being adjustable to vary the timing of the operation of the connecting means.

12. In an indexing` device, a rotatable member, a continuously operating actnatimcr mechanism, a device adapted to connect said members for rotation together, and mechanisni for intermittently operating said dcvice to disconnect said members` said mechanism including a pivoted part and a rotatable element comprising a pair oll relativeiy adjustable disks havingl notches in their peripheries certain of which are arranged mami@ to iegifger so as to be capable `of receiving said part.

i3. l'n an indexing Idevice having a part to be intermittently operated, timing mechanisni comprising a pair of disks rotatable as unit and liavi g a. lnraflity `.of peripheral notches, said risks eing angularly adjustable with resp'eettoieach other whereby certain of sali notches ,inh the may be caused to register. znd a reciprocatory :member moifble, vv en the If. i ri, notches of are dispgst tllli rath f Increment' ,0ff said member, inw operative engagement with the part to be opera ted,

An indeseable device having, in combination, Ia trotatable' member, continuously actuated mechanism, anl means for intermittently connecting sai member with said mechanism comprising hook means carried by said member and normaliv ,tending to connect said member with ,sai mechanism, a secondlioolrmeans adapted ,tp enga, e said first-mentioned hook means and hodfthe saine in ir pera ive posit-aon, means 'oi interinittenty wit.drawing said second inenrioned boch greens, and lautomatic means for holding sai, second mentioned hook means in .withdrawn osition during a .predetermined ,motion osad rotatable member, means being adjns able to vary thefaxnount of motion of said member re ylting from each actuation of said secorrlu mentioned hook i cans.

l5. ign indexable device having, in cornbination, ,a rotatable member, continuously actuated mechanism, and means for intermittently connecting said member with said nieqhanisrn lcomprisirrgi,hook means carried by said ,member and or n, ly tending to connectslaid member w y sai `mechanism, a sei-ond hoolr cans ada ted xto engage said h'rst mentione hook an, hold the saine in inoneratliveposition, 'means for intermittently withdrawing said second mentioned lhook means, 4and automatic means associated with and driven rom said rotatable member for holdinv lsecond mentioned hook means in wiltbditawn .position during a predeterminet motion ,of said rotatable member, said means being adjusta le to vary the anionnt of motion of said member resulting from each actuation of said second mentioned hook means.

Ln testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand,

GUSTAF D. SUNDSTRAND. 

